Shabbat dinner a valued tradition regardless of your observance level

The Jewish Chronicle - Shabbat dinner a valued tradition regardless of your observance level:
Beginning at a young age, our family would celebrate Shabbat every Friday night.  We would light the candles, chant the blessings of wine and bread and share a special moment together.

Certainly, there was a religious tone to our Shabbat, but the emphasis was always on the shared family experience.

Read more: The Jewish Chronicle - Shabbat dinner a valued tradition regardless of your observance level 
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Shabbat Shalom to the Angels Among Us

Shabbat Shalom to the Angels Among Us: posted 11/8/2013 by Rabbi Elaine Rose Glickman

Don't we all know some angels? The preschool teacher who carries our toddler around all morning when he's having trouble separating from us. The pediatrician who stays late when our child is sick, or who calls after hours to see how she's doing. The coach who sees our tween not just as a player, but as a unique and special individual. And when we're exhausted after a long day, but take the time to eat dinner with our children, to look them in the eye and ask about their day, to snuggle with their favorite book and a blanket instead of retreating to Facebook and Instagram...well, just maybe we are angels as well.

Shabbat Shalom to all you angels - and wishing peace unto you, messengers of the Most High.

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Five rabbis to share about Shabbat - Sun Sentinel

Five rabbis to share about Shabbat - Sun Sentinel: By Randall Lieberman, Staff Writer

10:39 a.m. EST, November 13, 2013

In a life of 80 years, there are approximately 4,160 days of Shabbat.  A little more than 11.4 years of one's life can be lived in Shabbat.  Are you making the most of this gift?

During the program, rabbis who lead Jewish institutions of all types will share their personal views of Shabbat and take part in a panel moderated by Rabbi Akiva Mann, the spiritual director of the Institute for Jewish Knowledge and Learning. 
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Instead Of A Digital Detox, Why Not Take A Weekly Tech Shabbat?

Instead Of A Digital Detox, Why Not Take A Weekly Tech Shabbat?  by Ariel Schwartz, Nov 11, 2013

Extreme "unplugging" is kind of a fad, but who can afford to cut off their Internet for weeks on end? Try it just one day a week.
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Making Time for Shabbat

Making Time for Shabbat:  November 8, 2013 By Lynn Swayze Wilson
And then – let’s be real here – maybe your world is set up in such a way that Friday evening Shabbat, services or dinner, simply can’t be observed properly. If that is the case, then don’t despair – find some Shabbat on Saturday.
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Sky Blue and the Hopscotch of Sabbath Peace

Sky Blue and the Hopscotch of Sabbath Peace - by Rb Steven Gross
"One of my favorite analogies regarding the Sabbath as a day for pause and
reflection was suggested to me by Gloria Herman, who is a long time
member of HCRJ. Gloria Herman, who comes to services with great
regularity, considers the Sabbath as a Sky Blue for the week. Sky Blue is a
term used in the game of hopscotch."

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Why I care about Judaism: Shabbat

Why I care about Judaism: Shabbat - Israel Jewish Scene, Ynetnews:
So on a very practical level, Shabbat has had a most profound impact on my life. It has allowed work to be a choice for me, not a habit. When family and friends come to visit or when I go on vacation with my wife and kids, I do not feel compelled to work by some instinct that comes from a place deep within my brain. I am able to start and finish working at will. This I attribute to my keeping of Shabbat in all of its details. Shabbat is truly a gift from God.
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Shabbat — The Marriage Cure – Just Married – Forward.com

Shabbat — The Marriage Cure – Just Married – Forward.com:
Shabbat has always meant, to me, a stretch of uninterrupted relaxation. It’s enforced relaxation, in fact — just sleeping, eating, reading and hanging out with family and friends. As I grow older and my weeks became more stressful, I am more and more grateful for the blessing that is Shabbat, counting down the days until Friday as soon as Monday begins. It is a weekly mini vacation made all the more special by the infusion of spirituality that I’m certain I can feel almost tangibly. And now that I’m married, Shabbat means all that and more.

Read more: http://blogs.forward.com/just-married/176248/shabbat-the-marriage-cure/#ixzz2StbtyMyG
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Shabbat - A day of rest & rejuvenation - Documentary

Shabbat - A day of rest & rejuvenation - Documentary: "See, hear, understand and taste the Shabbat experience. The presentation places one in a Shabbat wonderland, and shows how this is attainable for everyone. This video includes interviews with various Jewish personalities. A must for anyone venturing to take the first steps towards Shabbat observance."

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Shabbat as a utopian ideal

The Jewish Chronicle - Shabbat as a utopian ideal:

The gift Judaism has given the world with regard to Shabbat and the Sabbatical year is, therefore, the idea that from time to time — weekly and every few years — we owe ourselves and one another the privilege of stepping outside the regular patterns that have come to define our work lives, wherein our days buzz with activity and are too often defined only by what we pursue each for our own benefit.  

But writing in “The Sabbath World,” Judith Shulevitz, opines, “[Shabbat] is not just a holy day of rest.  It is also a utopian idea about a more sociable, purer world.”  If so for a weekly respite, how much the more so for the Sabbatical and Jubilee Years! Perhaps, irrespective of where we may be in our calendar, it is time for our community to heed the two Torah portions we read this week.  Imagine, they instruct, what it could mean were we to decide to approach a day in the week ahead as Shabbat, and the year upcoming as a sabbatical from our regular routines.  Consider the rewards, our Torah enjoins, were we to determine to do what we do differently in the days and year ahead.  How much the better might our land and people might be were we willing to imagine our work and its rewards differently. 

Read more: The Jewish Chronicle - Shabbat as a utopian ideal 
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A Love Song for Shabbat

A Love Song for Shabbat | www.clal.org:
Clal Resident Tzemah Yoreh, Ph.D. has just published the first book in his Humanist Prayer Series. In A Love Song for Shabbat he attempts to add some spice toKabbalat Shabbat. It is intended for anyone who wishes that there were more prayers reflecting contemporary values, while at the same time remaining true to traditional cadences. Tzemah Yoreh relates ‘ Here you’ll find my original poetic compositions in Hebrew, introduced and translated (creatively) into English with notes for people who want to delve more deeply into their meaning. If some of these poems strike a chord, great! If none of the poems speaks to you, I still hope and pray that upon reading them you become mobilized to compose prayers that are as meaningful to you as these are to me.’..."
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In Watertown, Mass., prepping for Shabbat after a night of gunfire and explosions -

In Watertown, Mass., prepping for Shabbat after a night of gunfire and explosions - Jewish World News - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper:

As for Shabbat preparations, the family wasn’t going to let a lockdown get in the way of their Shabbat meal, which had become a sacred family tradition. They may not have the ingredients to bake their own challah, but Levy said she's making matzah ball soup, which “I think of as comfort food.”

Noting that they bless their children each Shabbat (an older daughter is away at college), Levy said, “blessing Noah this Shabbat will take on even more meaning given the events of last night and today in Watertown and the bombings on Monday at the Marathon. “When we kiss and hug Noah this evening, it will be a little tighter and longer,” she said.

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Sabbath Queen

http://www.chabad.org/blogs/blog_cdo/aid/2197602/jewish/Shabbat-Queen.htm
Natalia Kadish is a Surrealist artist inspired by the joy received from learning Torah and contemplating the infinite. She received a BA in Illustration from School of Visual Arts. Her art has been displayed in several concerts including Irving Plaza in NYC. While incorporating the realism of her father, Laszlo Kubinyi's illustrations she explores mystical concepts and understandings inspired by her visit to the Artist Colony in Tzfat, Israel. Her goal is to reveal the love in hearts and share her inspiration with all.
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Butter, Garlic, Goodness

Butter, Garlic, Goodness | The Jewish Week:
If you ever host a Shabbat meal or a dinner party, there are always special added touches that make things extra special. For me, one of those things is homemade bread. Rolls, challah, foccacia, are all nice, but garlic knots? Now those will disappear before your eyes in seconds.
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Springtime Shabbat: Poached Salmon with Minted Fava Mash – Jew and the Carrot – Forward.com

Springtime Shabbat: Poached Salmon with Minted Fava Mash – Jew and the Carrot – Forward.com:
I wanted to make a Shabbat meal that would celebrate springtime, a promise of what’s to come for those still shivering and seeking comfort food. So I came up with a light, healthy, clean meal bursting with the flavors of the season that can be served warm, room temperature, or even made ahead and served cold. The entire menu is parve and gluten free, so it can accommodate a variety of diets.

Read more: http://blogs.forward.com/the-jew-and-the-carrot/174529/springtime-shabbat-poached-salmon-with-minted-fav/#ixzz2Q6rmbCLS
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Ellen Frankel: Jewish 'Nones' and the Question of Choice

Ellen Frankel: Jewish 'Nones' and the Question of Choice:
In a world that demands options, religious institutions would do well to reexamine the experience presented inside its walls. When new choices are offered that speak to the rooted values of the tradition, nothing is lost while much is gained. And maybe some of those who have walked away because of too many closed doors will find options of pathways leading inside to the heart and spirit of their faith.
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Shabbat of the Senses - Sermon by Beckye Levin Gross

Shabbat of the Senses
A Sermon by Beckye Levin Gross; delivered at HCRJ on Friday evening, March 8, 2013

Sometimes, just the thought of a smell can lead to a really specific memory. Have you ever walked by someone at the mall or had someone walk by you and the smell of their perfume or cologne instantly takes you back to a moment in time; and the memories and feelings you experience are so intense? 

I invite you to take a moment right now and close your eyes. Try to remember the smell of the perfume or cologne worn by your mother or father, or maybe one of your grandparents or past love; and think about what you associate with that smell?

And what about taste? Sometimes the taste of a certain dish can bring us right back to a particular time in our lives. The same can be said of photographs. A picture not only paints a thousand words, but it can remind us of a particular time in our lives, who we were with and what it felt like to be in that place, who we were in that moment of our lives.

Sights, sounds and smells each have the capacity to stimulate powerful associations of the past. Some may be positive, others may be negative, but whatever the case may be – our senses can be strong tools which can be used to generate memories. Knowing this, we could actually use our senses to not only recall memories, but to create new sacred associations.

Take Shabbat for instance. We learn that G-d created the world in six days and the seventh day was for rest. I don’t know about y’all, but I cannot remember the last time I “rested” on the Sabbath. Life is busy; and even moments of rest may not be very restful. But the thought of resting on Shabbat or making the Sabbath feel special in some way which separates it from the other days in the week is a beautiful, blessed concept. So why not give it a try.

In our weekly observance of the Sabbath, whether it is at home or here at HCRJ, we have boundless opportunities to create powerful connections through sight, sound, smell and taste.

Actually, there are probably things we do already that are reserved for Shabbat; we just don’t connect them with memories yet. For example, listening to Jane sing, as Donna plays Shelter Us each Friday or tearing into the Challah with our hands after Motzi. And those who attend family Shabbat dinner know well the moment when Rabbi Gross asks everyone to “Shhhhh” so that we can hear Shabbat coming, and then he strikes the match before lighting the candles. What a great memory of Shabbat dinner our children may have when, in the future, they hear the sound of a match being lit.

When Steve and I first came to HCRJ, we brought with us a recipe for pull-apart cake. It wasn’t so much the taste of the pull-apart cake that enticed us; though it is quite yummy. It was the smell; the smell of freshly baked cinnamon and sugar wafting from the kitchen and surrounding us at the oneg. For us, we associate that smell with Shabbt onegs.

There are other things we could do to create Shabbat centered memories which revolve around our senses. We could wear a special perfume or cologne that we reserve only for Shabbat. We could prepare a special meal or use special plates every Friday night. We could make it a ritual to listen to Jewish music or to make challah french toast on Saturday mornings. Remember to light the candles every Friday night no matter where we are or we could take a moment to smell the scents from a spice box each Saturday evening.

Whatever it may be, at some point during this Sabbath, I hope you find a moment to consider what memories YOU would like to make surrounding this holy day, and how your senses can play a part in creating those sacred connections.

Shabbat Shalom!

Mirabai Starr: Keeping the Sabbath.. Radical

Mirabai Starr: Keeping the Sabbath.. Radical:
Today is Saturday. The sun has just dipped below the western mesa and the face of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains is about to be washed with the scarlet glow from which the range derives its poetic name. Shabbat is over and, in the tradition of my ancestors, I mourn a little. The Sabbath, they say, is a taste of "the world to come" -- a day so sweet that the Holy One, in His infinite mercy, gives us 25 hours instead of the standard 24 so that we can have a little more time to dwell in tranquility and delight.
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'The Spirit of Shabbat' is also an Aggieland tradition - The Eagle: Faith And Values

'The Spirit of Shabbat' is also an Aggieland tradition - The Eagle: Faith And Values

One Aggieland-only tradition is "The Spirit of Shabbat." The Hebrew word Shabbat provides us with the English word, Sabbath. In the Jewish world Shabbat, the seventh day after creation, begins at sundown on Friday night and lasts until Sundown, on Saturday night. The practice of beginning a day with sundown is a long Biblical tradition. For example, Genesis reads: Vayehi erev, vayehi boker, yom echad/It was evening and then morning, the first day."

The idea of Sabbath is unique to Judaism and Christianity. These are the only two major religions that demand a cessation of work on God's holy day. Due to the Ten Commandments, Shabbat is perhaps the best-known Jewish holy day. Yet ironically, the Jewish marking of the seventh day is perhaps the least understood part of Judaism.

Shabbat Across America Unites, Inspires

Baltimore Jewish Times - Local News | Shabbat Across America Unites, Inspires:

What if you could enjoy a meaningful evening with your brothers and sisters, putting the challenges and chaos of the week aside, with a delicious meal, spirited singing and good conversation? And what if that evening was free of charge?

That is exactly what can happen on Friday evening, March 1, at this year’s Shabbat Across America. The night starts with candle lighting at 5:20 at Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim.

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Italian b’nei anousim celebrate Shabbat with a unique candelabra

For thousands of Italians who live in the southern Italian region of Calabria, the island of Sicily and the Aeolian Islands, connecting family traditions with an ancient Jewish heritage can be little more than a lucky guess. But as B’nei Anousim (those who were forced into Christian conversion during Inquisition times) continue to search for their lost and hidden Jewish roots, one ritual item, the Shabbat candelabra offers an important clue.

For years I believed that the triple candelabra that was one of our family heirlooms was little more than a lovely artifact. Later on as I began a search of our family’s anousim roots, I discovered that this three-branched candelabra was a special part of the family Shabbat table.

- by Rabbi Barbara Aiello: the first woman and first non-orthodox rabbi in Italy. She opened the first active synagogue in Calabria since Inquisition times and is the founder of the B'nei Anousim movement in Calabria and Sicily that helps Italians discover and embrace their Jewish roots.

http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/italian-bnei-anousim-celebrate-shabbat-with-a-unique-candelabra/

A Candle of My Own - By Joannie (Henya) Tansky

“Shhh, my children. Make sure the blinds are closed tightly. Come to the table, light the candles.” That is how many Jewish children grew up in communist Russia in the 1960s and ’70s. No explanations about their heritage—not about Chanukah, Purim,Passover, or even Shabbat. If they knew nothing, they could not repeat anything that would put their families in peril…

A Candle of My Own

Birthright Shabbat, Part 2

Birthright Shabbat, Part 2 | David Suissa | Jewish Journal:

I don’t often write about the same subject in consecutive weeks, but because my “Birthright Shabbat” column last week elicited an unusual amount of feedback, I thought I’d share some of it with you, as well as build on the idea.

Last week, I wrote about the special magic of the Friday-night Shabbat meal to attract all kinds of Jews who are disconnected from their Judaism, and I suggested a national initiative that would do for Judaism what Birthright Israel did for Israel.

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Birthright Shabbat

The Shabbat meal takes an idea everyone loves — Thanksgiving — and makes it a meaningful weekly experience.

The beauty of this meal is that it can be tailored to attract any taste: a poetry Shabbat, a spiritual Shabbat, a literary Shabbat, a culinary Shabbat, a storytelling Shabbat, a Zionist Shabbat, a singles Shabbat, a green Shabbat, a social justice Shabbat and so on.

Birthright Shabbat